Rail holder



W. E. APT. RAILHOLDEIL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 13; I921.

1,412,264. Pat anted Apr- 11, 1922.

WILLIAM E m, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAIL HOLDER.

Application filed July 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM- E. Arr, a citizen of the United States, residin at the city of St. Louis, in the State of issouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention'is to provide a simple and cheap and very effective rail holder for railways-one which is not much more expensive, but which is much more effective, than the ordinary railroad spike. The object of this invention is more especially attained by an improvement in the construction of the spike.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a perspective view on which the rail rests;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the spike;

Figure 3'is a perspective view of a tie and rail with the plate of Figure 1 intermediate the same, with two spikes in position, the said view being sectional in character and taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a modified form of plate; and

Figure 5 is a modified form of spike.

By the construction hereinafter described, means is provided whereby the outside spikes, the tieplate, and the rail are tightly locked together.

Upon the tie 1 rests the plate 2, and upon the plate 2 rests the base 3 of the rail 4. The spike 5 contains a notch or recess 6.

With the tie 1, plate 2, the base 3, and rail 4 in the respective positions shown in Figure 3, the spike 5 isdriven into tie 1 until it seats with lip 7 of head 8 resting upon the flange 3. At this time the edge 9 of slot 10 may or may not be in notch 6 of the spikes 5; but with a Sledgehammer or other means plate 2 will be driven to the left in Figure 3, so that edge 9 of each slot 10 will enter a recess 6 in each spike 5 and be tightly held therein. Plate 2 is provided with rib 11, which engages one marginal edge of the base flange of the rail and is held in close contact therewith by a keeper-spike 12 in a manner hereinafter set forth.

After the parts are in the positions shown at the right-hand end of Figure 3. the keeper-splke 12 is driven into the tie 1 of a plate Specification of Letters Patent.

. dents.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922. Serial No. 484,404.

- through hole or slot, 13 in plate 2 in the manner shown at the lefthand end of Figure 3. This completes the binding of the parts tightly together and prevents lateral movement.

Any weight on the rail 4 has the tendency to hold the spikes 5 in the tie. If the tieplate 2 wears into the tie, it carries the spikes 5 with it, so that the outside s ikes 5 are held tightly and never have. to e redriven on account of vibration and can not be withdrawn until the inside or keeper-spike 12 has been removed. It is the bearing of the underneath side of plate 2 on shoulder 14 on spike 5 that,'under the pressure of edge 9 and rail 4, drives spike 5 further into tie 1.

By the use of these combined devices, including the spike with the notch 6 and the slotted tieplate 2, the effects of vibration are neutralized, which saves the time hitherto wasted going over the tracks to redrive spikes. It also tends to prevent acci- In the form of plate 2' shown in Figure 4. a plurality of slots 13' are utilized instead of the one slot 13 shown in Figure 1. Moreover, in Figure 4 the plate 2' is thicker at the righthand end than at the lefthand end and is. provided with a cutaway part forming an arch 15, stiffened with the rib 16.

In the form of spike shown in Figure 5, the shoulder 17 is preferably omitted, but instead recess 6 is rounded out in its upper part, as shown. The tieplate 2' by reason of being arched at 15', as shown in Figure 4, on the under side becomes anchored to the tie immediately upon receiving the weight of the train and will form a definitel rounded or marked seat and will have a 11111- form bearing on the tie 1 upon which it rests.

The advantage of the construction of the spike in combination with the plate 2 or 2' is that when the plate 2 or 2 is forced down by the weight of the rail 4, the fact that the tieplate 2 or 2' rests on'the shoulder forming the underneath side of recess or notch 6 or 6' forces the spike 5 or 5' down with it. Many other plates when forced down in this manner leave the spike head away from the base of the rail. 7

This invention will tend to minimize accidents due to track-spreading. and will hold the track ri idly to the gage, and in so doing not a er of the tie will be cut, there being no sharp ridge 'or prong that will cut into the tie.

When the weight is on the rail all outside spikes are locked to their respective plates 2 and the rail 4 and every spike will be down solid in the tie at the point where originally driven.

Having thus described thisinvention, I hereby reserve thexbenefit of, all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claim.

-I claim:

A rail holder for ties including a plate for engagement with a tie and equipped with a transverse rib intersected by spike openings, spikes engageable in said openings, each of which has a notch to receive the plate, and a spike engageable through said plate on the opposite side of the rail from the first said spikes to urge the rail snugly a ainst said rib and to snugly engage the p ate in the notches of the first said spikes.

In testimony- WhereofI hereunto afiix my signature.

' WILLIAM E. APT. 

